Nicole Moudaber - Believe

Nicole Moudaber - Believe
Nicole Moudaber's rise from promoter and agent to fêted techno DJ has been well-documented. Based on her recent output, she's making a decent stab at becoming a producer too, but pulling it off coherently and consistently on an album was always going to be a big challenge. Mind you, if you've got Adam Beyer's backing, part of your battle is already won.

The Drumcode head himself has a hands-on role in one of Believe's more twisted tracks, "Take Hold." Hung around hi-hats that fizz like steam engine pistons and a dull bass thud that sucks the air out of the speakers, this one rides a raw warehouse groove. Moudaber doesn't wander too far from that driving tempo over the album's remainder. "Movin' On" and "Come And Lay," which bookend "Take Hold," resonate and crackle with the same springing energy. They could almost be in the mix.

Believe is a solid, unassuming techno record with its controls set for the heart of the dance floor. There's none of that windswept, emotive intro/outro business, no overt vocal tracks (although there's plenty of samples), no ill-judged attempt to be anything but what it is. But it would be wrong to characterise the album as one-paced or prosaic. Opener "Lumière Tamisée" suppresses heavy kicks in favour of a meandering shuffle, percussive clunks and a rollicking bounce, while "Big Love With No Apology" uses minimal-style clicks and whirrs over an increasingly tense rhythm. Believe may not garner the kind of wild acclaim that some of the industrial glitterati currently attract, but it's a record of undeniable charm that benefits from Nicole Moudaber's single-minded, unfussy approach to techno.

Tracklist /01. Lumiere Tamisee
02. Moving On 03. Take Hold (with Adam Bayer)
04. Come And Lay
05. Do Your Thing
06. Fly With You
07. Get On It
08. Liberum Spirita
09. Big Love With No Apology
10. Can I Get Some

More on Nicole Moudaber

Dance music changed Nicole Moudaber’s life – now she’s returning the favour. “The drums reached me,” she says of her initiation at New York’s infamous Tunnel Club. Ever since then, the Nigerian-born Lebanese star has dedicated her immense energy to finding ways to share that vibe.
After years as a promoter – first in her native Lebanon, then in London – and a long self-apprenticeship in her studio, Nicole burst onto the scene like record-wielding Athena. Carl Cox, a close friend and mentor, tipped off DJ Mag in 2009, calling her “the most underrated DJ.” Four years later, Ms Moudaber is no longer waiting in the wings.
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